APA Recognizes Glendale’s Community Development Department

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the City of Glendale and the Community Development Department (CDD) with several awards at their annual Awards Gala on June 12, 2012 at the Historic Los Angeles Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. These awards set the City of Glendale apart from other municipalities for its overall excellence and innovative approach to community development.

Distinguished Leadership Award  – [Public] Agency for 2014

Recognizes CDD as a leader in its field. The main distinguishing factor is the Department’s multiple divisions’ ability to continue to perform at an outstanding level, with internal consistency and collaboration between the divisions, in the face of the recession, loss of Redevelopment funding, major staff cuts and increasing workload.

2014 Great American Clean Up Highlights

A variety of community beautification projects that have enhanced the City  were recently completed thanks to the help of over 400 volunteers who attended the 26th Annual Great American Clean Up. This year the event was all about “partnerships” and our partners made it possible for us to take on some in exciting new projects.

You can watch GTV6's coverage of the event in their latest episode of On the Move.
Great American Clean Up Photo Album

Here are a few highlights of the event day projects:




Beyond the Box- Utility Box Mural Project 

For the first time, volunteers had the opportunity to paint murals on utility boxes, thanks to the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission who created the Beyond the Box Mural Project to beautify the City’s Downtown area.

Map of Utility Box Locations.

Improvements for Permit Services Center Customers

The electronic customer flow systems gets you in and out faster. 

The Community Development Department (CDD) has taken steps recently to streamline some of its services to better serve the public. In an effort to make your next visit to the City’s Permit Services Center more pleasant and efficient, CDD has completed a mini face-lift with the following improvements: 

• All forms are now available and accessible to the public on site.
• A special area has been designated to allow you to complete forms comfortably.
• Additional counter space has been created to assist you.
• New signage that is easier to read and understand has been hung throughout.
• An Electronic customer flow management system has been installed to reduce your wait time at the information desk, directing you more efficiently from one counter to the next.
• A Customer Satisfaction box has been installed for your feedback and ideas. We want to hear from you about the services provided.

All application forms are readily available.

New signs are easier to read and understand.

Coming Soon!

Be on the lookout for the following changes and improvements that are currently in the works at the Permit Services Center:

• Online Appointment Scheduling - You will have the ability to make online appointments for services at the Permit Services Center using your home computer or smartphone.
• Easy Access to Property Permits - A new and faster computer will be available for you to review property permits in an instant.

Jan Edwards Appointed to Building Official Post

Community Development Department (CDD) Director, Hassan Haghani, announced the appointment of Jan Edwards as the City’s new Building Official, effective June 1, 2014.  She has worked for the Glendale Community for 21 years beginning with the position of Structural Engineering Associate, and progressed to Plan Check supervisor, Civil Engineer 1, Senior Building Code Specialist, Principal Civil Engineer, and Deputy Building Official.  Most recently, she had served as Interim Building Official since December 1, 2013 after Stuart Tom left the post to take on the role of Glendale Fire Marshal.   Jan Edwards holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Architecture and Architectural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Woodbury University.  She is a Certified Building Official and a Licensed Civil Engineer. Ms. Edwards brings a collective 25 years of experience in the Building & Safety industry. “Jan is a valuable member of the Community Development team and the obvious choice for the position.  Not only is Jan fully grounded in the technical side of her profession, she is bringing a fresh vision for the Building and Safety Division” said Hassan Haghani. As Interim Building Official Edwards initiated a multimedia public education campaign for Building Safety Month this past May. Her first official act was to name Jan Bear as the Deputy Building Official. Jan Bear has worked for Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and Santa Clarita Building Departments prior to switching to Glendale in February, 2000. Edwards’ and Bear’s joint experience and knowledge will serve the City of Glendale well as they continue to uphold the community’s high standards.

Affordable Housing Updates - June 2014

Several affordable housing projects are in various stages of development. Here is a brief update on some of these projects.

Cypress Senior Living – A 17-unit affordable housing apartment building for senior citizens, with 6 units reserved for senior veterans.  The Affordable Housing Lottery was held on May 15th and the applicants chosen first in the lottery are being interviewed now for lease up of the apartments. Rehabilitation of the building was completed in mid-May.
Read our March 2014 post about Cypress Senior Living.

Veterans Village – A 43-unit affordable apartment building with a preference for veterans and their families is under construction.  The subterranean structure is well underway, with floors and walls poured.  Capping the structure is expected in the next week.  The project should complete construction in June 2015.
Read our February 2014 post about Veterans Village.

Chestnut Habitat Homes – A 3-unit affordable new construction project for Low Income First Time Home Buyers.  Building permits were issued and site preparation and grading has begun.  Construction completion is projected for June 2015.  The selected home buyers will complete a minimum of 500 hours of “sweat equity” on the new homes as part of their down payment for purchase.
Read our March 2014 post about Chestnut Habitat Homes.

Rockhaven RFQ

The City of Glendale issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for development of the Rockhaven site at 2713 Honolulu Avenue. The City of Glendale, which owns the site, hosted two open house events for potential developers. These events were held at the Rockhaven Site in late May and early June with over 40 attendees. 

The city is looking to select a qualified developer that can meet the following goals: